Q Periodically, I find myself navigating Interstate 5 in Los Angeles or Orange County, or driving I-405 in western L.A. These oft-clogged freeways have “limited access” carpool lanes where you can only enter or depart in clearly marked zones, usually near ramps. I’m fond of this, as it makes driving easier when not worried about cars suddenly entering or exiting carpool lanes at random places. Any chance such a sophisticated carpool model might make its way to the Bay Area?

Michael Siladi
Mountain View

A Yes. Carpool lanes on several Bay Area freeways will be changed when solo drivers are allowed to use them for a fee. When this happens, carpoolers and solo drivers will be able to enter and exit only at certain locations. You’ll see this change first on I-680, where the southbound diamond lane will be converted into a HOT (high occupancy toll) lane from Highway 84 to Route 237. Work will start later this year to install electronic equipment used to collect tolls, widen the lane to 12 feet and add a buffer between lanes. You’ll be able to enter the carpool lane at four locations from 84 and 237. Plans call for the same work on I-580 in the East Bay and highways 85 and 101 in the South Bay. Is this better? Reaction is mixed.

Q Maybe it’s a matter of where you learn to drive, but I vastly prefer Southern California’s carpool lanes over Northern California’s. I was transferred up to the Silicon Valley about 10 years ago with a group of about 50 others, and in the first week all of us almost had accidents with people changing into the carpool lanes anytime they felt like it. Although I’m more prepared for such lane crashers, they still terrify me.

Campbell MacInnes
San Jose

A Back to a contrary view.

Q Limited access to carpool lanes in Southern California makes it a mess down here, and there has been talk of moving to a free-entry system, as in the Bay Area. Illegal users just scoot in and out wherever they wish, so don’t expect any big changes by painting a solid yellow line on the ground. From what I see in the Bay Area, you have a much more civilized approach.

John MacConnell
Pasadena

A Here’s what may make the change work. When toll lanes are added, the extra money will pay for more highway patrol enforcement. That should cut down on drivers crossing a double set of yellow lines to illegally enter and exit these lanes.

Q My sister and I were driving to Oakland during rush hour. We were in the carpool lane on I-880 and noticed a lot of vehicles that had only one occupant and no stickers. There were so many cheaters through Oakland that we decided to count them. The result: 23 vehicles passed us and 18 were cheaters. We were astonished to count so many.

Kristi Iverson
Sunnyvale

A Carpool cheats, sadly, are everywhere.

Q I carpool on I-880, where there are always so many single drivers cheating. But I have never seen a CHP catching anyone. Why?

C.L. Smith
Fremont

A Well . . .

Q Is there ever going to be any carpool lane enforcement on Highway 87 between I-280 and 85? There is one solo driver in a white roofless sports car that doesn’t ever pretend to be concerned about being caught.

John Espinoza
San Jose

A I get most complaints about carpool cheating on 87, followed by I-880 and I-680. Not only is it illegal, it’s also dangerous because cheaters are prone to darting in and out of the diamond lane. But the CHP doesn’t have the personnel to handle everyday incidents and crack down on these rude, arrogant cheaters.

Q Are there plans to ease the constant backup from north Highway 101 to I-880, where cars can line up half a mile and the 101 off-ramp can back up onto the freeway?

Gary Richards has covered traffic and transportation in the Bay Area as Mr. Roadshow since 1992. Prior to that he was an assistant sports editor at the paper from 1984-1987. He started his journalism career as a sports editor in Iowa in 1975.

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